Tech firms are buying brand‑new washing machines and gutting them for chips. The move reflects a desperate scramble to keep production lines moving while the world wrestles with a multi‑year semiconductor deficit.

Dutch chip‑equipment maker ASML disclosed that a major, unnamed customer – believed to be an automotive supplier – has begun purchasing thousands of new washers to harvest the sensors, Wi‑Fi modules and display contro…

The shortage that drove firms to the laundry room

The shortage began when lockdowns pushed families to replace laptops, phones and home entertainment gear. That surge doubled demand for silicon across consumer, automotive and industrial sectors. Building a new fab st…